Tragically, the 2010 Winter Olympic celebration in Vancouver was visited by another accident on February 16, this time injuring 19 fans as they enjoyed an after competition concert in Vancouver’s David Lam Park.  A section of the barricade collapsed as it was pushed up against by aggressive fans jockeying for front row positions. 

Five safety tips that are easy to heed in any large crowd event where spectators will likely be applying pressure against a barricade include:

1. Use of heavy duty steel barricades is a must.  Lighter weight plastic barricades are not designed to withstand significant force.  8 foot interlocking steel barricades are the standard used by most governments and most police departments worldwide. 
2. Barricade footing must be arched, also called bridge foot, and not flat when crowds are pressing against the barricades.
3. Interlocking barricades should be assembled in a slight zigzag pattern to provide extra load bearing strength. 
4. The interlocking arm and sleeve that connect the barricades proves to be a weak point under excessive strain, so additional heavy-duty zip ties, such as police use as handcuffs, can be added for extra support.
5. Most importantly, the human elements of crowd control must be employed to avoid injuries to crowd members being crushed by those behind them.

Here's an example of a steel barricade with bridge foot. Click to see full details.